and Milan Decrees. This proceeding, although made the ground of the repeal of the British Orders in Council, is rendered, by the time and manner of it, liable to many objections. The final communications from our special minister to Denmark, afford further proofs of the good effects of his mission, and of the amicable disposition of the Danish government. From Russia we have the satisfaction to receive assurances of continued friendship, and that it will not be affected by the rupture between the United States and Great Britain. Sweden also professes sentiments favourable to existing harmony. With the Barbary powers, excepting that of Algiers, our affairs remain on the ordinary footing. The consul-general residing with that regency, has suddenly, and without cause, been banished, together with all the American citizens found there. Whether this was the transitory effect of capricious despotism, or the first act of predetermined hostility, is not ascertained. Precautions were taken by the consul on the latter supposition. The Indian tribes, not under foreign instigations, remain at peace, and receive the civilising attentions which have proved so beneficial to them. high wages for every species of occupation, that, notwithstanding the augmented inducements provided at the last session, a partial success only has attended the recruiting service. The deficiency has been necessarily supplied during the campaign by other than regular troops, with all the inconveniencies and expenses incident to them. The remedy lies in establishing more favourably for the private soldier, the proportion between his recompence and the term of his enlistment: and it is a subject which cannot too soon or too seriously be taken into consideration. The same insufficiency has been experienced in the provisions for volunteers made by an act of the last session. The recompence for the service required in this case, is still less attractive than in the other and although patriotism alone has sent into the field some valuable corps of that description, those alone who can afford the sacrifice, can reasonably be expected to yield to the impulse. It will merit consideration also, whether, as auxiliary to the security of our frontier, corps may not be advantageously organized, with a restriction of their services to particular districts convenient to them; and whether the local or occasional services of marines or others in the sea-port towns, under a similar organization, would not be a proper addition to the means of their defence. I recommend a provision for an increase of the general officers of the army, the defi With a view to that vigorous prosecution of the war to which our national faculties are adequate, the attention of Congress will be particularly drawn to the insufficiency of which has been illusciency of the existing provisions for filling up the military establishment. Such is the happy condition of our country, arising from the facility of subsistence, and the trated by the number and distance of separate commands, which the cause of the war, and the advantage of the service, have required: and I cannot press too strongly on the the earliest attention of the legislature, the importance of the re-organization of the staff establishment, with a view to render more distinct and definite the relations and responsibilities of its several departments that there is room for improvements which will materially promote both economy and success, in what appertains to the army and the war, is equally inculcated by the examples of other countries, and by the experience of our own. A revision of the militia laws, for the purpose of rendering them more systematic, and better adapting them to emergencies of the war, is at this time particularly desirable. Of the additional ships authorised to be fitted for service, two will be shortly ready to sail; a third is under repair, and delay will be avoided in the repair of the residue. Of the appropriations for the purchase of materials for shipbuilding, the greater part has been applied to that object, and the purchases will be continued with the balance. The enterprising spirit which has characterized our naval force, and its success both in restraining insults and depredations on our coasts, and in reprisals on the enemy, will not fail to recommend an enlargement upon it. There being reason to believe, that the act prohibiting the acceptance of British licences is not a sufficient guard against the use of them, for purposes favourable to the interests and views of the enemy; further provisions on that subject are higly important. Nor is it less so, that penal enactments should be provided for cases of corrupt and perfidious intercourse with the enemy, not amounting to treason, nor yet embraced by any statutory provisions. A considerable number of Ame☀ rican vessels, which in England, when the revocation of the Orders in Council took place, were laden with British manufactures, under an erroneous impression that the Non-Importation Act would immediately cease to operate, have arrived in the United States. It did not appear proper to exercise on unforeseen cases of such magnitude, the ordinary powers vested in the treasury department to mitigate forfeitures without previously affording Congress an opportunity of making on the subject such provisions as they may think proper. In their decision, they will, doubtless, equally consult what is due to equitable considerations, and to the public interest. The receipts into the treasury during the year ending on the 30th of September last, have exceeded sixteen millions and a half of dollars; which have been sufficient to defray all the demands on the treasury to that day, including a necessary reimbursement of near three millions of the principal of the public debt. In these receipts are included a sum of near 8,850,000 received on account of the loans authorised by the acts of last session. The whole sum actually obtained on loan amounts to eleven millions of dollars, the residue of which being receivable subsequent to the 30th of September, will, together with the current revenue, enable us to defray all the expences of this year. The duties on the late unexpected importations of British manufactures will render the revenue of the ensuing year more productive than could have been anticipated. The situation of our country, fellow-citizens, is not without its difficulties, though it abounds in ani on the element which forms threefourths of the globe we inhabit, and where all independent nations have equal and common rights, the American people were not an independent people, but colonists and vassals. It was at this moment, and with such an alternative, that war was chosen. The nation felt the necessity of it, and called for it. The appeal was accordingly made in a just cause, to the just and powerful Being, who holds in his hands the chain of events and the destiny of nations. It remains only, that, faithful to ourselves, entangled with no connections with the views of other powers, and ever ready to accept peace from the hand of justice, we prosecute that war with united council, and with the ample faculties of the nation, until peace be so obtained, and as the only means under the divine blessing of speedily obtaining it. mating considerations, of which To JAMES MADISON. Proclamation of the Emperor Alexander, dated St. Petersburgh, November 15. We, Alexander the First, by the It is well known to the whole world in what manner the enemy has entered the boundaries of our empire. No step or means that have so frequently been resorted to by the punctual fulfilment of the peaceable stipulations, nor our steady endeavours by all possible means to avert the effects of a 2 G bloody 1 bloody and destructive war, have been able to check his obstinate design, in which he has shown himself entirely immoveable. With peaceful promises on his tongue, he never ceased to think on war. At length having collected a large army, and strengthened it with Austrian, Prussian, Bavarian, Wur temburg, Westphalian, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish regiments, who were constrained through disgrace and fear, he put himself in motion with this immense force, supplied with vast quantities of artillery, and penetrated into the interior of our country. Murder, fire, and destruction, were his attendants on the march. The plundered property, the towns and villages set on fire, the smoking ruins of Moscow, the Kremlin blown up into the air, the temples and altars of the Lord destroyed; in one word, all kinds of cruelty and barbarity, hitherto unheard of, at length prove by his own actions, that they have long been lying concealed in the depth of his mind. The mighty and happy Russian empire, which possesses every thing in abundance, awakened in the heart of the enemy envy and dread. The possession of the whole world could not satisfy him, so long as the fertile fields of Russia still were happy. Full of this envy and internal hatred, he revolved, turned, and arranged in his mind, all manner of evil means by which he might give a dreadful blow to her power, a total confusion to her riches, and bring general destruction on her prosperity, He likewise thought by cunning and flattery, to shake the fidelity The whole world has fixed its attention on our suffering country, and inwardly moved, thought they saw in the reflection of the flames of Moscow the last day of the existence of our freedom and independence. But great and mighty is the God of Justice! The triumph of the enemy was of short duration; pressed on all sides by our valiant armies and levies, he soon discovered that by his temerity, he had ventured too far, and that he could not, either by his vaunted army, his seducements, or his cruelties, inspire fear into the loyal and valiant Russians, nor save himself from destruction. After many fruitless endeavours, and now that he sees his numerous troops every where beaten and destroyed, he, with the small remains of them, seeks his personal safety in the rapidity of his flight; he flies from Moscow with as much fear and depression as he advanced against it with pride and insolence; he flies, leaving his cannon behind him, throwing away his baggage, and sacrificing every thing that can retard the swiftness of his flight. Thousands of the fugitives daily fall to the earth and expire. In such manner does the just ven geance of God punish those who insult his temples. Whilst we, with paternal tenderness and joyful heart, heart, observe the great and praiseworthy actions of our faithful subjects, we carry our most warm and lively gratitude to the first cause of all good,the Almighty God; and in the next place we have to express our thanks in the name of our common country, to all our loyal subjects, as the true sons of Russia. By their general energy and zeal, the force of the enemy is brought down to the lowest degree of decline, for the greater part has either been annihilated or made prisoners. All have unanimously joined in the work. Our valiant armies have every where defeated the enemy. The higher nobility have spared nothing by which it could contribute to the increase of the strength of the state. The merchants have distinguished them selves by sacrifices of all kinds. The loyal people, burghers, and peasantry, have given such proofs of fidelity and love for their country, as can only be expected of the Russian nation. They have zealously and voluntarily entered into the hastily raised levies, and have shown a courage and resolution equal to veteran warriors. They have with the same force and intrepidity penetrated the enemy's regiments, with the same implements with which they only a few weeks before turned up their fields. In this manner the troops of levies sent from St. Petersburgh and Novogorod, for the strengthening of the forces under Count Wittgenstein, have behaved themselves, especially at Polotzk, and other places. We have besides, and with heart-felt satisfaction, perceived by the reports of the commander in chief of the armies, and from other generals, that in several governments, and particularly in those of Moscow and Kalouga, the country people have armed themselves, chosen their own leaders, and not only resisted all attempts at seducing them, but also sustained all the calamities that have befallen them with the perseverance of martyrs. Often have they united themselves with our detachments, and assisted them in making their enterprizes and attacks against the enemy. Many villages have secreted their families and tender infants in the woods; and the inhabitants, with armed hand and inconceivable courage, under engagements on the Holy Gospel not to leave each other in danger, defended themselves, and whenever the enemy showed himself, have fallen upon him, so that many thousands of them have been cut to pieces, and dispersed by the peasants, and even by their women, and numbers taken prisoners, who were indebt ed for their lives to the humanity of those very people whom they came to plunder and destroy. invincible perseverance in the So high a purpose, and such whole nation, does it immortal honour, worthy of being preserved in the minds of posterity. With the courage of such a nation, we entertain the most well-founded hopes. Whilst we, jointly with the true church, and the holy synod and clergy, supplicate God's assistance, that if our inveterate enemy, and the mocker of God's temple and holiness, should not be entirely and totally destroyed in Russia, wounds, and the blood it has cost yet that his deep 2 G2 hira |